1. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org The Barnegat Bay Shellfish Restoration Program Gef Flimlin and Cara Muscio Rutgers Cooperative Extension & Rick Bushnell ReClam the Bay, Inc.

2. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Help grow MILLIONS of clams to repopulate the bay… our watershed Awareness: Each sticker = 400 clams back to the bay!

3. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Growing the “seed” Stack of 10 seed - day arrived First week One month First spring

4. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org The Partners

5. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org What We Do Teach classes to our volunteers Grow clams & oysters from seed Measure & analyze growth and water quality Plant shellfish for environmental and economic benefits Educate about the Barnegat Bay watershed, water quality & shellfish. Raise funds and awareness Have FUN!

6. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org ReClam the Bay Will: Educate the community about the natural cycle and ecology of the Barnegat Bay Promote environmental stewardship of this vital resource Use native clams & oysters as the teaching tool to achieve these goals.

7. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org More People, Less Shellfish Significant human population growth in Ocean County over the past 60 years. –37,675 in 1940 –25% growth rate in 1980s. –population increased to 511,000 by 2000. Almost 27% over 60 years of age. Many moved to be near the water.

8. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org More People, Less Shellfish Since1985 a drop of 900 full and part time clammers State Hard Clam surveys in 1983 and 2001 show a steep decline in wild clam populations –Clam aquaculture became necessary as wild clam stock was diminished

9. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Is the sun rising…..or setting?

10. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Opportunity from Disaster Increased Population + Environmental Degradation + Less Shellfish = A critical moment (disaster) (Opportunity for Change)

11. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org The Future People who love the water look for leadership to help care for things that live in it Shellfish restoration programs succeed NY, DE, VA, SC, To “Protect, Restore, Educate and Partner.” is part of the mission of the EPA Barnegat Bay National Estuary Program (BBNEP) is to –The shellfish restoration program accomplishes all of those tasks.

12. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org What did we do? Provided 6 evenings of trainings for 70 volunteers –shellfish biology and culture –rules and regulations –discussions about restoration elsewhere and hands on activities. Stocked and tended upwellers for 10 weeks.

13. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Classroom Training

14. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org What We Did-2005 Found 2 sites to set up land based nursery systems (upwellers). Built silos and plumbed 2 upwellers Grew 600,000 seed clams Constructed over-wintering bags Deployed the seed at 4 different sites around the bay. Had significant losses of over- wintered seed.

15. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Year 1, 2 upweller sites Surf City Yacht Club The St. Francis Center

16. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Upweller Silo Construction

17. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Locally spawned clam seed was added to the land-based nursery systems

18. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org

19. This is a dime next to the clam seed. How well did the seed grow?

20. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Minor problems….

21. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Mortality in the upwellers was considerably less than 1%.

22. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org After 10 weeks, the clams were placed in plastic mesh bags for transport and planting in Barnegat Bay

23. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org It always rains when there is work to do!

24. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Planting bags

25. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Then it was time to plant the seed at the different sites…

26. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org

30. What We Did-2006 Added 4 more upwellers (Total of 6) Began “Clam Camp” Grew 1.2 million clams and 100,000 oysters Built Taylor floats for oysters Built predator nets for clams Planted the seed

31. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Year 2: 4 more sites Barnegat Light Municipal Dock Holiday Harbor Marina, Waretown Cedar Bonnet Island Wheelhouse Marina, Seaside Park

32. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Began to Use Taylor Floats For Oysters

33. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org

35. In the end - we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught. - Baba Dioum, Senegelese Conservationist Taking it a step further…

36. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Education Program Goals Make the connections between shellfish, water quality, ecology, local culture, and human needs and actions. Showcase a working model of environmental stewardship and the benefits to the environment and society.

37. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org “What the Bay Hinges on” Workshops and field trips Materials development Speakers Bureau Education at Fairs & Festivals Working with local students (MATES) Clam Camp www.Reclamthebay.org Press coverage Education and Outreach

38. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org What the Bay HINGES on… Printed booklet and CD of lessons, activities, and visual materials Target grades 4-8, adaptable to all educational settings OBSERVATIONS…on the half Shell. Subject Areas: Science Setting: Classroom Duration: One Classroom Period Skills: Research, critical thinking, observation, writing, public speaking Vocabulary: Adaptation, shell, oyster, hard clam, quahog, scallop, mussel, whelk, starfish, bivalve, gastropod, hinge

39. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org CLAM CAMP!! Six weekly lessons Two groups: 5-8 years old, 9-14 In class activities & “Hands on” at the upweller Hoping to expand to other upweller locations

40. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org

41. www.reclamthebay.org

42. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org News Coverage

43. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Always get a reporter when something good happens!

44. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org So what’s next?

45. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Plans for 2007 Recruit more volunteers Continue training program –Master Shellfish Gardner Add 3 to 4 upweller sites Continue and expand education efforts.

46. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Plans for 2007 Work with Bureau of Shellfisheries for sites for oyster reefs. Help to coordinate shell plantings for reefs. Purchase and grow more clams and oysters.

47. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Plans for 2007 Raise awareness and funds: Attend fairs and festivals RCTB Stickers Put a Million Back plaque Coordinate a Public Art and Education Program.

48. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Fairs and Festivals

49. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Stickers and Plaque

50. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Page To Tell WHERE TO GET STICKERS

51. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Coordinate a Public Art and Education Program. How, you may ask?

52. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org The Big Ass Clam

53. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org The Final Result? Educate citizens about stewardship of Barnegat Bay and about the place of shellfish and other organisms in that complex. Encourage people to make changes to reduce their impact on the bay and its inhabitants. Improve the populations of shellfish. Have FUN!

54. ©ReClam the Bay www.reclamthebay.org Scott Patton We think it is raising!